Vocabulary Instruction in Six Easy Steps Initiated By: Savannah Tonnsen
Robert J. Marzano and His Findings In every study done on instructional strategies, there is always one of two results; either the strategy improved student achievement, or it didn’t. Through the years, teachers, schools, and districts have struggled to use this information in a way that would most benefit student achievement (Marzano, 2009). In the video below, Robert J. Marzano explains how many times students who are great in subjects like math often perform poorly on tests because they do not understand the wording. With the creation of his six-step process, it is his goal to help all students become better readers (Marzano, 2008). Marzano, the author and creator of Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction, suggest that schools need to look at research to find the instructional strategy with the most positive effect on student achievement. Research is where all investigations on instructional strategies should begin. Once the research has been considered, teachers need to implement the best strategies in their own classrooms. No strategy is going to be perfect so it is important that schools test several methods to find the best fit for their students (Marzano, 2004).
(Marzano, R. J., 2008, December 29).
The Six Steps One instructional strategy that many teachers have used is called the six-step process. This was created by Marzano in 2004. “It involves the following steps:
Provide a description, explanation, or example of the new term.
Ask students to restate the description, explanation, or example in their own words.
Ask students to construct a picture, pictograph, or symbolic representation of the term.
Engage students periodically in activities that help them add to their knowledge of the term in their vocabulary notebooks.
Periodically ask students to discuss the terms with one another.
Involve students periodically in games that enable them to play with terms” (Marzano, 2009).
Going Deeper with the Six Steps The first three steps in Marzano’s six-step process are to help teacher’s introduce a new term or word to their students. In the first step, when a new term is introduced using the Marzano’s strategies, the teacher does not get the dictionary out and read the definition. Instead, teachers are able to allow students to explore the term through examples of when the word is used. Steps two and three are revolved around the students in the class experimenting with the new term. The students get to describe it in their own words in step two and then represent it with some sort of picture in step three (Marzano, 2009). Steps four, five, and six are used with the new term later in the week. These steps do not need to be used exactly in order and may be moved around to better enhance the teaching. All three of these steps are created to give the students practice using the new term (Marzano, 2009).
Teacher Evaluations Marzano and other researchers looked at the effects of the six-step process used in all fifty states. The research showed that Marzano’s six-step process works in grades kindergarten through high school. The research also showed that it is important to use all of the steps, not just pick and choose some to use (Marzano, 2009). In the attached video (1), Diane Paynter talks about a teacher who used the six step process and proclaimed how well it worked with her students. Paynter also explains the consequences of only using some of the steps (Paynter, 2009). In the next two videos (2 & 3) a teacher recorded herself teaching a fifth grade class while she was introducing two new terms. One new term was introduced in video two and the next term was introduced in video three. The students are working in whole group, pair share groups, and individually while using Marzano’s six-step process. This teacher is combining this process with Anita Archer’s active participation strategy (Kelley, 2012). Video two highlights how to introduce the new term using step one. In video three the students are asked to draw a picture of the new term. Each time students are asked to work in pair share groups or for individual work, the teacher takes the time and gives the students a time check (Kelley, 2012).
Video 1
(Paynter, D., 2009, December 2)
Video 2 (Kelley, A., 2012, February 1; Sample 1) Video 3 (Kelley, A., 2012, February 1; Sample 2) References Kelley, A. (2012, February 1). Explicit vocabulary instruction: Sample 1. [youtube.com]. Kelley, A. (2012, February 1). Explicit vocabulary instruction: Sample 2. [youtube.com]. Marzano, R. J. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement: Research on what works in schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Marzano, R. J. (2008, December 29). Building academic vocabulary. [youtube.com]. Marzano, R. J. (2009, September). The art and science of teaching: Six steps to better vocabulary instruction. Educational Leadership: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development. Paynter, D. (2009, December 2). Marzano research laboratory: Diane Paynter. [youtube.com].
Vocabulary Instruction in Six Easy Steps
Initiated By: Savannah Tonnsen
Robert J. Marzano and His Findings
In every study done on instructional strategies, there is always one of two results; either the strategy improved student achievement, or it didn’t. Through the years, teachers, schools, and districts have struggled to use this information in a way that would most benefit student achievement (Marzano, 2009). In the video below, Robert J. Marzano explains how many times students who are great in subjects like math often perform poorly on tests because they do not understand the wording. With the creation of his six-step process, it is his goal to help all students become better readers (Marzano, 2008). Marzano, the author and creator of Six Steps to Better Vocabulary Instruction, suggest that schools need to look at research to find the instructional strategy with the most positive effect on student achievement. Research is where all investigations on instructional strategies should begin. Once the research has been considered, teachers need to implement the best strategies in their own classrooms. No strategy is going to be perfect so it is important that schools test several methods to find the best fit for their students (Marzano, 2004).
(Marzano, R. J., 2008, December 29).
The Six Steps
One instructional strategy that many teachers have used is called the six-step process. This was created by Marzano in 2004. “It involves the following steps:
Going Deeper with the Six Steps
The first three steps in Marzano’s six-step process are to help teacher’s introduce a new term or word to their students. In the first step, when a new term is introduced using the Marzano’s strategies, the teacher does not get the dictionary out and read the definition. Instead, teachers are able to allow students to explore the term through examples of when the word is used. Steps two and three are revolved around the students in the class experimenting with the new term. The students get to describe it in their own words in step two and then represent it with some sort of picture in step three (Marzano, 2009).
Steps four, five, and six are used with the new term later in the week. These steps do not need to be used exactly in order and may be moved around to better enhance the teaching. All three of these steps are created to give the students practice using the new term (Marzano, 2009).
Teacher Evaluations
Marzano and other researchers looked at the effects of the six-step process used in all fifty states. The research showed that Marzano’s six-step process works in grades kindergarten through high school. The research also showed that it is important to use all of the steps, not just pick and choose some to use (Marzano, 2009). In the attached video (1), Diane Paynter talks about a teacher who used the six step process and proclaimed how well it worked with her students. Paynter also explains the consequences of only using some of the steps (Paynter, 2009).
In the next two videos (2 & 3) a teacher recorded herself teaching a fifth grade class while she was introducing two new terms. One new term was introduced in video two and the next term was introduced in video three. The students are working in whole group, pair share groups, and individually while using Marzano’s six-step process. This teacher is combining this process with Anita Archer’s active participation strategy (Kelley, 2012). Video two highlights how to introduce the new term using step one. In video three the students are asked to draw a picture of the new term. Each time students are asked to work in pair share groups or for individual work, the teacher takes the time and gives the students a time check (Kelley, 2012).
Video 1
(Paynter, D., 2009, December 2)
Video 2
(Kelley, A., 2012, February 1; Sample 1)
Video 3
(Kelley, A., 2012, February 1; Sample 2)
References
Kelley, A. (2012, February 1). Explicit vocabulary instruction: Sample 1. [youtube.com].
Kelley, A. (2012, February 1). Explicit vocabulary instruction: Sample 2. [youtube.com].
Marzano, R. J. (2004). Building background knowledge for academic achievement: Research on what works in schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Marzano, R. J. (2008, December 29). Building academic vocabulary. [youtube.com].
Marzano, R. J. (2009, September). The art and science of teaching: Six steps to better vocabulary instruction. Educational Leadership: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.
Paynter, D. (2009, December 2). Marzano research laboratory: Diane Paynter. [youtube.com].